Show Love

 

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Download the Notes: 02092014ShowLoveHeb13.1-2DonRuhl

Show Love 

Hebrews 13.1–2

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • February 9, In the year of our Lord, 2014

 

Prelude: 

  1. Let your Christianity go to work! 
    1. You have certain beliefs.
    2. Let those beliefs express themselves.
  2. You know what the Lord wants you to be and to do. 
    1. Let it out.
    2. Do not hold yourself back from what the Lord has taught you!
  3. He has taught you to show love 
    1. to brethren and
    2. to strangers.
      1. Of all the peoples, groups, and nations of the world,
      2. Christians and the church should excel in this above all other people,
        1. not that we might say we are better than all, but
        2. that we might show them the love of God in Christ.
  4. Start where it is easiest and 
    1. work out from there,
    2. following the order of Hebrews 13.

Persuasion: 

  1. Hebrews 13.1 – Show Love to the Brethren

    1 Let brotherly love continue (Heb 13.1).

    1. Let us feed and eat from the environment that encourages love,
      1. which is the purpose of the weekly assembly,
      2. so you are at the right place, but make it a habit,

        24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb 10.24–25).

    2. We are brothers and sisters, we are family,
      1. we are love.
      2. Let it show,

        34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13.34–35).

    3. Robert Louis Stevenson said,

      “So long as we love we serve.”

      1. Failing to serve others shows that love does not dwell in our hearts.
      2. When love dwells in our hearts we automatically serve others, because
        1. love does not avoid serving, but
        2. seeks opportunities to serve.
    4. Second Peter 1 shows why love should continue,

      5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add…love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Pe 1.5–11).

      1. Therefore, my entrance into heaven depends upon
      2. whether I show love to my brethren on the Earth.
        1. If you continue to show love to brethren,
        2. you will start to show love to strangers.
  2. Hebrews 13.2 – Show Love to Strangers

    2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels (Heb 13.2).

    1. Was not everyone,
      1. including our friends,
      2. strangers to us at one time?
    2. Were we not at one time,
      1. strangers to those who befriended us?
      2. What the Lord told Israel, He also tells us,

        33 “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Lev 19.33–34).

      3. Therefore, we must at all costs avoid cliques.
        1. We cannot only associate with our friends and family,
        2. especially when we are here.
      4. By befriending strangers,
        1. they do not remain strangers, but
        2. they become friends.
          1. What has our Christianity done for us,
          2. if we cannot entertain strangers?
            1. What good is our Christianity for others,
            2. if we cannot entertain strangers?
      5. Let us not be suspicious of strangers.
        1. The good Samaritan had every reason for suspicion, but
        2. he was not and helped a stranger.
    3. Let us not fear strangers.
      1. Generally they fear us.
      2. They are hesitant to be here and to talk.
    4. Let us remember we follow Christ,
      1. who ministered to strangers, and
      2. he taught us that we cannot ignore strangers,

        47 “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” (Matt 5.47).

    5. Remember the Golden Rule,

      12 “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 7.12).

      1. When you are a visitor, how do you wish to be treated?
      2. When you are a new member, how do you wish to be treated?
      3. When you miss, how do you wish to be treated?
    6. We have
      1. nothing to fear and
      2. nothing to lose
        1. by showing love to strangers,
        2. in fact, the Hebrew writer hinted that we have much to gain.
    7. Some entertained angels without knowing it.
      1. I know of a little church that showed kindness to a stranger.
      2. He visited that little church once or twice a month over the years.
        1. Few knew him.
        2. One of the preachers did not know him, nor did the elders.
          1. However, because this man saw love there, when he died,
          2. he left over a quarter of a million dollars to that church.
      3. Judges 13 shows a man and a woman who entertained an angel,

        15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.” 16 And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the Lord.) (Jdg 13.15–16).

      4. Showing love to strangers and entertaining them shows
        1. that we want to give to them and
        2. not take from them.

Exhortation: 

  1. By love and hospitality we make valuable connections. 
    1. We make friends without number.
    2. We create new friend connections, because
      1. we show an interest in them, and
      2. that impresses people,
        1. whereas we typically think of impressing others.
        2. Rather be impressed with them,

          4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phi 2.4).

          10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal 6.10).

  2. Showing love to brethren and to strangers gives us a foretaste of heaven. 
    1. A certain minister preached one day on Heaven.
      1. The next morning he was met by one of his wealthy members,
      2. who said,

        “You preached a good sermon about Heaven. You told me all about Heaven, but you did not tell me where Heaven is.”

    2. “Ah,” said the minister,

      “I’m glad of the opportunity this morning. I have just come from the hill yonder. In that cottage there is a member of your church who is extremely poor; she is sick and in bed with fever. If you will go and take her a good supply of provisions and say, ‘My sister, I have brought these nice provisions in the Name of our Lord and Savior,’ if you ask for a Bible and read Psalm 23, and then get down on your knees and pray, if you don’t see Heaven, before you get all through, I’ll pay the bill.”

    3. The next morning he said,

      “I saw Heaven, and I spent fifteen minutes in Heaven, as certainly as you are listening” (Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, no. 2298).

  3. If you want to go to heaven, show love now.